When Cicadas Cry: Fruits Basket Edition
by TsumikoHan
Summary: AU: Have you ever heard someone's footsteps behind you, but look back and see no one? Have you ever heard someone say to you, over and over, "I'm sorry"? Do you get the feeling that you can no longer trust anyone? Because they might be out to kill you...?
1. 1:Intro

Disclaimer: Ryukishi07 is the rightful owner of the _Higurashi _franchise, as is Natsuki Takaya to Fruits Basket. I'm just the sick twisted teen who actually thought to combine these two together.

Summary: Tohru Honda is enjoying her new life in Hinamizawa, especially around her four new (boy) friends. But the carefree summer days of Hinamizawa take a turn for the worse when Tohru finds herself entangled in a mystery that might get her killed by the very boys she has come to care for and love!

Enjoy.

"Higurashi—When They Cry: Abducted by Demons Arc"

Preface:

_Early Summer, Showa 58 (1983)_

The whole room smelled of fresh blood. The blood leaked from the two male corpses, both teenage boys' faces frozen in shock and terror. Their murderer had been ruthless, though it was done with fear. One couldn't really see them very clearly, however; a bat, which had been swung viscously down on the two male corpses on the floor, had broken the ceiling light. The whole room was dark.

However, in the far corner of the room, their shirt, and possibly face and hands splashed with blood, and a bloody steel bat lying by their side, sat the murderer. The person had curled into a fetal position, panting harshly. The person's eyes were wide with fear and, though it would be hard to see, they had their partially blood stained hands clamped on their ears. Tears started trailing down the person's cheeks like two endless rivers as they let out a pitiful whimper.

Why…? Why didn't the woman's voice stop?

"_I'm sorry…"_

"_I'm sorry…"_

"_I am sorry…"_

Eventually, the person started rocking back and forth and murmuring these words. They stared at the two dead bodies as they kept repeating, "I'm sorry" in a mantra, as if their words would reach the two males in the afterlife. The murderer's eyes looked so forlorn, lost and, most of all confused…

How…? How did it all lead up to this?

* * *

_Please don't be sad._

_Even if the world doesn't forgive you, I will forgive you._

_Please don't be sad._

_Even if you don't forgive the world, I will forgive you._

_So please tell me._

_What should I do so that you'll forgive me?_

Frederica Bernkastel

* * *

I think I was sugarhigh off Oreos when I thought of this. I just finished watching _Higurashi Kai _a few months ago, and I got the manga today. And since no one else has dared to think of this, let alone do it, I thought "What the hell".

I think I will get the first chapter done by the Winter break, once midterms are over. In the meantime, feel free to make guesses on "who's who," even though it's probably obvious.


	2. 1:1

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Higurashi or the Fruits Basket series, and I am not using this for profit.

Note: It might be a little confusing at first, but if you've read the Higurashi manga, you might understand a little bit. It won't be completely from the manga, the anime and the live action movie, but it will be similar and feature elements from all three.

Warning: Tohru will be OOC at some points. In fact, a lot of people might be a little OOC, but it's all for the plot, I swear.

* * *

**Higurashi–When Cicadas Cry: Abducted By Demons Arc**

Part 1: Hinamizawa Village

"_I'm sorry..."_

"_I'm sorry..."_

_...I feel as if someone's been apologizing for a long time. It's a woman's voice. It's been annoyingly persistent for a while..._

"_I'm sorry."_

_What does she have to apologize so much for? And whoever she's apologizing to..._

"_I'm sorry."_

_...If she's apologized so much, they should just forgive her already._

"_I'm sorry."_

_No matter what the error, nothing is unforgivable. There's no such thing as a mistake that can't be fixed._

"_I...am...sorry..."_

_If it is something that can't be fixed, that's all the more reason to forgive her. Because nothing will change by her apologizing now. _

_Just forgive her already...!_

"Tohru," a woman's voice called.

Tohru Honda paused in her musings and looked at her mother, Kyoko Honda. She was a confident looking young woman, just a few inches to being middle aged. Her eyes were a clear blue and her hair was dyed a fiery color, which matched her personality. Next to her was her father Katsuya Honda, who was older than her mother. He had brown hair, gentle brown eyes and a caring personality, three features Tohru inherited.

"We're almost there, Tohru," Katsuya assured her. "You're almost back to Hinamizawa after two days."

Tohru blinked her brown eyes, and then smiled brightly. She went back to staring at the window, her blissful smile on her face. She couldn't help but feel relieved at the thought of being back home. Even though the Honda family hadn't been living there long, Tohru felt as if they had been there forever.

The bus had gotten out of the tunnel and passed a sign that said:

"Welcome to Hinamizawa!"

As the family's ride went into the night, higurashi started chirping their melancholy song.

* * *

The next day Tohru Honda was running frantically all over her house. She kept running past her father back and forth, searching for her shoes, her navy blue sailor uniform and her bag. Which was currently missing...

"Agh!" she yelled in frustration in front of her father. "Dad, have you seen my bag?"

Katsuya held back a chuckle as he pointed toward the front door. Tohru followed his finger and her eyes widened when she saw her leather handbag by the door. The one place she didn't look...

Tohru laughed with embarassment. "I knew that! I was just _testing _you..."

The man rolled his eyes, still smiling. "I am so sure Tohru-chan."

She pouted, and then walked to the front door to put on her shoes. She picked up her bag and looked over her shoulder.

"I'm off!"

Kyoko poked her head out of another room. "You're not forgetting anything, are you? You know how you can be..."

Tohru pouted again, rolling her eyes pleadingly to the ceiling. "Yes mom. I'm good."

Then she was out the door, running towards the place where she was supposed to meet Yuki. If she didn't hurry, the two of them, along with Kyo would be late.

"_My name is Tohru Honda. Three weeks ago, my family and I moved to Hinamizawa. There aren't any convenience stores, or family restaurants, but life here isn't bad._

"_You ride the bullet train and then the normal train for a few hours, and then take a car or bus even farther into the mountains. And in that remote place, you arrive here in Hinamizawa."_

Tohru's running slowed down some as she reached the meeting spot. She walked left, passed a tree that still had a cicada on it.

"_I'd gone to the city for two days for a relative's funeral. But I wanted to come back so bad that I couldn't stand it. I really like my life in Hinamizawa. And the reason for that..."_

A handsome boy with silverish hair and eyes stood by a tree, waiting for someone. He was wearing a black school uniform that was a different style than Tohru's.

His eyes brightened when he saw her, and he waved. "Honda-san, good morning!"

Tohru beamed and waved back. "Yuki-kun! You didn't wait long did you?"

Yuki shook his head, smiling down at her politely. "If I had to wait so long, I would have left already."

Tohru's smile faded into a panicked frown. "W-w-what?! B-but, Yuki you know I don't know my way around here! I could get lost, and, and–!"

The taller boy laughed. "I'm just kidding, Honda-san! I'd wait for you as long as it takes." He smiled down at her with that charming smile that would make any girl's legs turn to jelly.

Tohru blushed and pouted, walking away. "No, fair. You pulled your 'charm' on me just so I wouldn't be angry with you."

Yuki smirked slightly. "Did it work?"

"No." She put her nose up in the air in a posh way.

The two friends laughed at their little moment, and continued to walk to their meeting spot with Kyo so the three of them could walk to school together.

"_The pretty boy walking next to me is Yuki Souma. Apparently, he's known as the Prince Charming of our school. As you can see from above, he has this charming personality that can affect probably anyone. He knows it too, the sneaky jerk. Still, the two of us became fast friends in not even a month."_

Yuki and Tohru continued walking until they were nearing a watermill. Standing there was another boy named Kyo Sohma. He was a tall, tan boy with orange hair and reddish brown eyes. He was wearing an unbuttoned white shirt, a black shirt underneath and a pair of black pants.

He smirked at the duo. "Well, it's about damn time. The two of you are so slow."

Yuki greeted the other boy with a wave, but Tohru glared at him, (or tried; it was more of a pout).

"Speak for yourself, Kyo! You're the one who always makes us wait!"

Kyo ignored her statement by yawning, and then he waved at her. "Hey, Tohru. It's been a few years, hasn't it?"

"Dumbass, I was only out for two days at a funeral."

The boy gasped dramatically. "Yuki, did my ears deceive me, or did Tohru Honda just curse _at me_?"

Yuki joined in on the joke. "The world must be coming to an end."

Tohru simmered as she listened to the two boys insulting her. Then she let out a frustrated yell, "Forget it, okay! Let's just go to school..."

"_That pure boyish annoyance is Kyo Sohma. He may not act like it, but he is the ringleader of our class. Though their names are similar, Yuki and Kyo aren't related, as far as I know. But they do share a bit of a bond, even if they do act like rivals sometimes, especially when they are playing games."_

Kyo and Yuki blinked at the girl's back as she stomped away. Kyo glanced at Yuki slyly, gesturing to her. Yuki looked at him sternly, silently telling him not to provoke her further. As usual, the orange head didn't listen. He caught up with Tohru and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Yuki followed them, sighing exasperated. He honestly didn't want anymore noise this morning.

"So Tohru, did you get me any souvenirs?" Kyo asked, trying to look innocent.

"Why would I get you a souvenir while I was at a funeral?" Tohru retorted.

"...So, is that a 'no'?"

She replied, going for the sarcastic tactic, "No, Kyo. I really _did_ get you a gift while I was at a relative's funeral, because that's such a natural thing to do. In fact your gift is back at my house, in my room."

Kyo's grin practically screamed "shit eater." "Oh great! What'd you get me?"

Twitch. "I didn't get you crap, Sohma!"

Gasp. "Yuki, she cursed again!"

Kyo couldn't help but notice how much Tohru looked like she wanted to scream. He laughed, patting her shoulder. Tohru's scowl slowly turned into a smile as the two of them continued their playful banter. Yuki let out another sigh, but still smiled when he walked next to them, on Tohru's other side.

"_We may look as close as we do, but it hasn't even been a month since we met. Though they tease me and joke around, it's easy to tell that they're being considerate of me so that I, the transfer student, can fit in. I have to make an effort to fit in myself. I'm sure that here it's appropriate to be a little over-familiar._

"_Hinamizawa is really a small village. There's only one class, and everyone's in a different grade and wears a different uniform. It's a combined class you'd never find in the city."_

The trio walked inside the small school, towards their classroom. Before they went in, Kyo and Yuki stopped and turned to Tohru. She shivered under the blank look in their eyes, but relaxed when she saw them both smile.

"Ladies first," they both said in unison.

Tohru smiled and was about to accept the offer, but then she started to get suspicious. She could understand Yuki being gentlemanly, but Kyo...? Something was _definitely_ up. She took a step back and observed the door. She hummed to herself when she saw an eraser jammed between the sliding door, put extra high up so when the person opened the door they wouldn't see it fall on their head.

Tohru smirked, and called to the classroom. "Forget it, Momiji-kun! I can see right through your trap! You won't get me this time."

From the other side of the door, a small shadow stood near the black board, chuckling mischievously. "We shall see, Tohru-san," he replied through the door.

Tohru pumped her fist into the air, her eyes full of determination. "This time, _I _will capture _you_ Momiji-kun!"

"Good luck, Honda-san," Yuki said to her.

Kyo shrugged. "I'm still betting on Momiji getting her."

"Just sit back and watch," Tohru said confidently.

_Let's see_, she thought._ The blackboard eraser is clearly a decoy. It's too obvious. So that means it's probably meant to lead me to the other door..._

Tohru was about to put her hand on the other door, but retracted her hand when she saw tacks taped to the door handle. _He put that many on the door?_ Tohru shuddered, but felt proud of herself. She moved back to the door with the eraser.

"Too bad Momiji-kun," she said slyly. "I've seen through all your traps!!"

She opened the door, making sure not to get in the path of the eraser, and smiled. She victoriously lifted her hand and put up a 'V' sign towards the class.

"Traps disarmed!"

With a smile that would make the sun envious, Tohru stepped inside the classroom...

"Eh?" she muttered, feeling her leg get caught on a rope. The rope was pulled tightly against her, causing her to fall. "Uwah!"

_He set up a jump rope too? _Tohru thought looking down at the floor. _And I'm going to land on..._

She gasped at what she saw. "An inkstone?!"

Before the ink could touch her, she maneuvered her body so she wouldn't land on the inkstone. She succeeded, but barely; the inkstone was just an inch from her back.

Tohru sat up, breathing deeply so she could calm her heart. "That was a close one," she whispered.

"Nice move Tohru!" Kyo praised from the door.

"Are you alright, Honda-san?" Yuki asked concerned.

Tohru nodded and smiled at him. Then she turned around when she heard two pairs of footsteps coming from beside her. There stood a short blond boy with brown eyes. He was wearing a blue sailor hat, a white sailor shirt and blue shorts. Behind him was a pale short boy with black hair and dark eyes. His uniform consisted with a black sweater and a black pair of shorts.

"Good morning Tohru," Momiji greeted her with an impish grin and an imitation of her 'V' sign. "You're so lively this morning!"

"Momiji, why you!" Tohru glared, her face still flushed from recent activity. "Your special trap work has gone up a level!"

Momiji laughed and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, looking innocent. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You brat, I nearly twisted my hip because of you!"

" _This is Momiji Uotani. He's a cocky little brat who's always setting up traps. Don't be fooled by his innocent baby face. This loli-shota is not to be underestimated!"_

"Good morning Tohru-san," Megumi smiled and bowed.

Tohru smiled back and bowed her head. "Good morning Megumi-kun."

Megumi crouched down to her level and rubbed her head affectionately. "If I pet you like this, the pain will disappear." He smiled as cute as a kitten, "Nipaah!"

Tohru was frozen for a second, and then she laughed. "Thanks Megumi-kun." _But I didn't hurt my head..._

"_This nice boy is Megumi Hanajima. He's pretty quiet, but he's a good and cute kid._

"_The two of them may look younger, but they are both about fifteen years old. They just tend to dress like younger kids."_

"Compared to him, Momiji," Tohru growled, walking up to the boy.

Momiji's eyes widened as the girl seemed to grow in size. He whimpered and tried to run away from the girl. Tohru smirked evilly as she grabbed the boy by his arm and leaned into his face.

"A little boy like you deserves..." Momiji suddenly felt fingers dig into his stomach–his weak spot. "A tickle attack!"

"AH! No, stop!" Momiji said as he collapsed into a laughing fit.

Tohru continued with her "punishment" on the floor with glee. Momiji continued laughing and giggling on the floor, while trying to beg for mercy, though he honestly wasn't getting hurt at all. Tohru only paused when she felt Megumi tap her shoulder.

"Momiji was real lonely without you here, miss," he said, while whimpering a cat-like "Mii."

Momiji blushed and immediately stood up and covered the boy's mouth. "Don't say things like that, Gumi!"

"But it's the truth," came the muffled reply.

Tohru giggled, and rubbed the boy's head. "That's okay Momiji-kun. I like you, too."

Momiji blushed and smiled back up at her. Then he bashfully turned his head away, still smiling. One could practically see the shojo flowery pattern that surrounded the moment between the two of them.

And Kyo's interruption was _purely_ coincidence, I'm sure.

"HEY! The teacher's coming!" He said, gesturing to the room. "Are we gonna clean this crap now, or what?"

Tohru squeaked, realizing she and her friends could get in trouble. "Oh sugar, we gotta clean this fast!"

Kyo rolled his eyes, muttering, "No shit, Sherlock."

With that being said, she used her 'Super Tohru speed' to run all over the class room and organize everything. Momiji watched her for a few seconds, and then joined her. Soon other classmates tried giving them aid.

"_It may have been Momiji who set it up, but we all clean it up together."_

Luckily, they cleaned up the mess in time, just as Mayu-sensei was entering the classroom. She was an adult woman who was possibly the best teacher Tohru has met. She helps with all the kids in the class, despite them all being different grades and ages. She had incredible patience, but also high standards when it comes to academics.

While Mayu-sensei began calming the class down to start the day, Tohru sat at her desk, which was right next to Kyo's. The seat had belonged to a student who had transferred out the year before, and her name

(_'Arisa'_)

was scratched onto the desk. Tohru didn't really pay attention to the name though, especially not at the moment. Kyo was currently teasing her about falling into twenty of Momiji's traps and she had to concentrate on defending her honor without getting noticed by Mayu-sensei.

Though many things were done to annoy her, Tohru still couldn't help but feel grateful and happy for making new friends in the sleepy town of Hinamizawa.

"_This daily life in Hinamizawa isn't bad at all. If it means that this same scene continues, I don't care how much effort it takes."_

* * *

The school day had been fun, as it usually was in Hinamizawa. Tohru couldn't recall her days in school being this fun until she moved to Hinamizawa. This just enhanced its perfection in her eyes.

Unfortunately, the fun school day had to end.

Kyo smiled as he waved goodbye to Yuki and Tohru, "See you guys tomorrow!"

Tohru smiled, "See ya!"

Yuki just waved as the boy walked off. He and Tohru had to walk the same way home because they lived closer to each other. But today, Yuki didn't want to go home just yet.

"Um, Honda-san, do you have any plans today?" He asked with uncertainty. For once he was nervous about asking a girl something.

Tohru blushed slightly at the look Yuki was giving her. Her heart beat started quickening, adding to her blush. "U-um, say what?"

Yuki blinked at her blush and chuckled nervously, his pale cheeks tinting pink. "Not like _that_! I just wanted to show you around the village, that's all."

She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. _I can't believe I took it the wrong way..._

"So, do you want to go? It'll be just like sightseeing."

Still, Tohru thought about it. It had been three weeks since she started living in Hinamizawa, yet she still didn't know the village very well. That was why she was afraid of getting lost in the town. If she took Yuki's offer, it will be the first time she really looked around the village.

"Sure."

First the two teens went to their houses to change into their street clothes. Yuki chose to wear a Chinese style shirt and a pair of pants. Tohru wore a short sleeved shirt and a skirt. They walked around the village for a couple of hours and met many of the townspeople, who surprisingly already knew who Tohru was. When she asked about it, Yuki told her that since Hinamizawa was such a small village everyone who lived there knew each other. Then they continued on with Tohru's own personal tour of the village.

"_The Shinto shrine, the suspension bridge...There aren't a lot of places to go sightseeing in this mountain village. But the time I spent with Yuki was so much fun, it went by in the blink of an eye."_

Tohru looked up at the sky, seeing the sun nearly set. _It's getting late. Time really did pass by, didn't it...?_

Yuki noticed it also. "Hm, it's getting dark." He turned to her questioningly. "Honda-san, is it alright if we go to one more place?"

"Sure, I don't mind," she answered. _Are we going to a famous tourist spot?_

The boy looked relieved. "Thank you. It should be this way."

Tohru followed him, trying to figure out where they were going. Yuki led her through a dark forest until they had come on to a grassy hill that led to an area that looked like it was the remnants of a construction site. All that was left was mountains of garbage.

At the front was a sign that said, "Hinamizawa Dam."

"A dam?" Tohru questioned.

Yuki either ignored her or didn't hear her, because his eyes suddenly started glittering in a way that was out of character for him. And what was even more out of character was his gaze toward a pile of trash in the dump.

"Ooh, there's a new pile!"

Yuki started bouncing up and down, his head becoming chibified and cute mouse ears popping out. Then he ran towards the pile, looking very much like a child at Christmas.

Tohru watched the spectacle with raised eyebrows, feeling a little disturbed. Did the two of them somehow step into the Twilight Zone while in that forest? She should probably feel happy that she's seeing a side of Yuki she's never seen before, but Tohru still couldn't help but feel a little creeped out.

"Yuki, what is this place?" She asked him loudly.

Yuki's head popped out from behind a pile of trash. "It's my secret place where I keep all my treasure. I come here to explore the treasures people dare to throw away and claim them as my own. I also keep my garden here."

She twitched, holding back a laugh. _You can hold a garden here?_

"Don't fall okay," Tohru called to him.

"I won't! I should be done in just a few minutes!" Yuki smiled childishly, and then went back to exploring.

Tohru giggled and sat on the hill. _Yuki is something else..._

She closed her eyes, reveling in the wind that blew against her face. It had gotten quiet without Yuki there. There were no sounds from a car, or any voices of cram school teachers. The only possible sound that was there was the sound of the higurashi chirping their song, but that just added to the tranquility.

_It really is a good place_, Tohru confirmed in her mind.

The silence was broken with a flash from a camera. Tohru squeaked in shock and whirled her head to see the culprit.

He was a tall man with brown hair and dark eyes. He was a beige summer yukata with brown sandals. A camera was hung by his neck on a black laniard. He looked down at her, blinking. Then he smiled apologetically.

"Ah, sorry if I scared you," he said, his voice taking a dramatic tenor. "You just looked so photogenic with that smile on your face, the twlight making you glow and your hair flowing with the wind."

"Um, that's okay," Tohru stood up and faced him. "Who are you?"

The man winked down at her flirtatiously. "I'm Shigure, a freelance photographer. I visit Hinamizawa once in a while. But I don't think I've ever seen you."

"Oh, that's because I just moved here," she smiled politely. The man seemed friendly, so she relaxed a little bit.

"That makes sense," Shigure said, and then he noticed Yuki at the dump. "Ah, so you know Yuki-kun?"

"Yup," she answered cheerfully.

Shigure smiled slyly. "Any idea what he's searching for down there?"

Tohru giggled. "No clue. For all I know, he's probably checking the dead body he buried a long time ago."

As Tohru laughed at her little joke Shigure's eyes turned blank and his face became all melancholy. He couldn't help but twitch as memories started flooding his head.

**"It was a terrible incident, wasn't it?"**

His question was rhetoric and his voice full of bitter sarcasm. Tohru froze, her eyes wide. She looked at him, shaking slightly for a reason that was beyond her. Shigure didn't look at her; he was looking instead around the dump, musing out loud.

"It took place here, if I remember correctly." His chuckle was hollow of emotion. "Funny how they haven't found the arm yet..."

Tohru swallowed hard. "W-w-what do you mean, Shigure-san?"

Shigure looked at her, his eyes widening slightly. **"You mean they didn't _tell_ you?"**

Before she said anything, Yuki came back up the hill holding an old rice cooker. "Sorry, I took so long, Honda-san. I was..." Yuki then noticed Shigure, scowling slightly. "Oh, hey there perv."

Shigure feigned a pained look as he grasped his chest. "Yuki, you break my heart. And we are such good friends, too."

Yuki rolled his eyes. "Save it, Shigure-san." He turned his gaze to Tohru, who was looking down on the grass, her bangs shielding her eyes. Yuki's eyes softened with concern. "Honda-san, he didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Shigure eyed Tohru with a strange look, and then he put on his carefree face. "Of course I didn't Yuki. Honda-san and I were just having a conversation that would benefit her if she'd _just forget I even mentioned it_."

Tohru raised her head to look back at him strangely. Was he giving her a message or something? She never found out because he already started walking away. She looked at Yuki, who was shaking his head, smiling wryly.

"I swear that man," he muttered, and then smiled at her. "Let's go."

Tohru gave him a silent nod and the two of them started walking home. The walk was long and full of silence from both teens. Tohru didn't speak because she had a lot to think about, like what the dam was and what incident Shigure was talking about.

Yuki looked over at her with concern at her silence. She was usually so lively, yet now she was quiet. Did something happen...?

"Honda-san, are you alright?" he asked.

Tohru blinked out of her thoughts and smiled up at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking that's all."

She shifted her eyes, trying to find something for them to talk about to get those thoughts out of her mind. For some reason, they made her feel uneasy.

"So, Yuki, what's with the rice cooker?"

"I thought I could use it at home. It looks like it could still work."

Tohru laughed. "Do you always take stuff from there home?"

Yuki smiled. "Yup, as long as it either looks nice or can still be of some use."

"You must be such a pack rat, Yuki."

The two of them laughed as they continued their banter, but then their walk became silent again. Though the conversation was fun, Tohru still couldn't help but think back on the dam and the incident that may, or may not have taken place. She had a feeling that Yuki may have had some idea about it, but she didn't want to seem nosy in his eyes.

But she won't be satisfied unless she knows something.

"So, uh, Yuki," she began awkwardly. "That dump used to be a dam?"

Because Yuki was walking in front of her, he had to turn his head to face her and nod. "I heard that they were going to build one, but I don't know the full details about it."

Tohru nodded, walking up beside him to make it easier to talk. "Oh, so you don't know if there were any casualties or accidents, or anything of the kind?"

Yuki stopped walking and smiled down at her politely, but his eyes were hollow of any emotion. Tohru froze under it, her eyes widening. This was the first time she had seen Yuki like that.

**"I don't know."**

His voice was cold and full of rejection. It was like a thousand ice picks stabbing Tohru, making her shiver.

"O-oh," she said, swallowing.

Yuki's ordinary smile and voice came back. "What I mean to say is that I lived somewhere else up until last year, so I honestly don't know what happened. Sorry."

Tohru knew that apology was fake. He wasn't sorry at all, and he did know something. But he didn't want to discuss it for some reason. Still, Tohru didn't pursue it any further and the two of them continued to walk back to their houses.

"_In the end, I didn't turn on the TV last night and my mind was filled with fruitless imaginings._

"_Murder cases weren't unusual–I knew that. But I couldn't help but ponder about Yuki's reaction throughout the next day, at school."_

Tohru felt a fist tap her head, bringing her out of her deep thinking. She was then face to face with Kyo, who was looking down at her with worried eyes.

"Hey, what's with you Tohru?" He asked. "You've been in a daze all day."

She blinked and then smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine, really."

"You're sure?"

Tohru nodded, making Kyo smile now that he was convinced. He grabbed her arm and led her to a bunch of desks set up to look like a table, where the rest of the group was sitting. "Well then, let's get started!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Um, started with what?"

Kyo narrowed his eyes at her, and then flicked her forehead. "Damn, you really have been dead today."

She scowled, "Well, _excuse me _for having a brain to think with."

Kyo replied to the insult with a flippant wave. "You're excused." Then he faced the other boys. "Fellow clubmembers, today I, as your leader, am overturning our rules." He wrapped an arm around Tohru, who looked a little stunned. "I propose we make Tohru Honda a member of our club and include her in our club activities. What say you?"

Yuki replied, "I have no problem with it."

Momiji laughed haughtily. "Would she be a match for me, I wonder?"

Megumi smiled. "Momiji and I both approve, Kyo-san."

"Then it's unanimous! Tohru Honda, welcome to our club!" Kyo patted Tohru on the shoulder, already leading her to her seat.

She sat down uneasily, seeing cards on the table. "I might regret asking, but what kind of club activities do you guys do?"

"Basically, we play games Tohru-san," Megumi replied.

"Oh..."

Kyo drew a scoreboard on the black board, and then sat down to deal the cards. He smirked over at Tohru when he was done dealing. "Okay, since it's your first day we'll start you off with something simple. Ever hear of Old Geezer?"

Tohru narrowed her eyes as she picked up her cards. Honestly, she didn't really like playing Old Geezer. She was more of a Rich Man, Poor Man gal. But if it somehow whiped that smirk off Kyo's face, then she was willing to play.

"Don't underestimate me Sohma," she warned, also smirking. "I will beat you."

His eyes narrowed and he chuckled mysteriously. "We'll see, Tohru. We'll see..."

-An hour later-

_No! How can it be that I'm almost last place? _Tohru asked herself as she looked over at her cards.

It was the last game of the club session. Tohru had lost the previous nine, which killed her confidence of winning. If she lost this time, she'd be in last place. How did they all keep winning?

Kyo propped his arm up on the desk and cupped his cheek on his palm. He looked over at Tohru slyly. "Having trouble?"

Tohru ignored him as she looked at her cards with narrowed eyes. There had to be some way they were winning. It was almost as if they all knew what cards she had, but how was that possible? Unless...Tohru looked over at her cards and then her friends' cards. They all had markings and tears on them that could make them easy to recognize.

_No __**effing**__ way!_

But she knew that in reality, yes. Yes **effing **way.

If this were a cartoon, her jaw would be dropping to the floor. "You guys are cheating!"

Momiji cackled evilly to Megumi, whose eyes were gleaming. "She seems to have figured it out."

Kyo chuckled. "Too bad it's too late."

Tohru whimpered, her lip portruding out. "You all are evil, evil boys." She then smiled at Yuki with puppy dog eyes. "Except you, Yuki. You aren't evil are you?"

Yuki smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Honda-san." He then plucked a card from her deck and matched with its twin in his. "But you have to learn that when it comes to this club, one must win by any means necessary."

Tohru gaped at him, looking frozen in place. Then she dropped her head onto the desk, her spirit escaping her mouth.

Kyo laughed. "Well, as much as I don't want to break Tohru's spirit any more than it already is..." He also plucked out a card from her deck, but when he looked at it his eyes widened.

Tohru chuckled evilly as she lifted her head. "Grab the wrong one, Kyo-_kun_?" She asked in a sweet voice.

He glared down at her, but he still couldn't hide the fact that he was impressed. "You little sneak."

Momiji gasped. "No way, that would mean that she..."

"That's right!" Tohru interrupted him by standing up from her chair and doing a silly victory dance. "I won! I won, I won, I won, _I won_!"

"Congrats, Honda-san," Yuki smiled, while Megumi nodded in agreement.

Kyo watched her dance some more for a few minutes and then he allowed himself to smile. "Yeah, yeah, you won Tohru. _This _game, anyway."

Tohru didn't like the edge in his voice, so she stopped dancing. "What are you talking about?"

All the boys smirked and pointed to the scoreboard. Even though she had won the last game, Tohru was still in last place because she didn't win the previous games. Tohru sweatdropped and scratched the back of her head, flushing with embarassment. Then she put on a determined smile and pointed her index finger at the boys.

"Just wait! Next time, I'll beat you all!" _Now that I know at least one of your tricks_, she added in her mind.

Momiji stood up, and walked around to stand at Tohru's side, smiling. "Oh, we believe you."

Yuki joined him, going to Tohru's other side. "We have unlimited faith in your abilities."

Megumi stood in front of her, smiling up at her sweetly. "I'm sure you can change your destiny of being in last place."

Kyo stood behind him, smirking down at her like a predatory cat. He was holding something behind him, but Tohru couldn't see it. "But you still have to accept the penalty for losing."

Tohru squeaked, realizing suddenly that they were getting a little _too _close for comfort. "P-p-penalty?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I forget to tell you? The loser of the club game has to face the punishment game, which is usually making the loser do something embarrassing, like wearing maid outfits and such. But I think we'll be easy on you since you're new," Kyo's eyes gleamed. "_Today._"

All of the boys started laughing, making chills go up and down Tohru's spine. She made move to start running, but Momiji and Yuki grabbed her arms securely. For extra weight Megumi hugged her around her midriff. As she was held down, Tohru saw Kyo approach her with a black marker in his hand.

"C-come on, guys," Tohru chuckled nervously, trying to convince them to let her go. "You wouldn't do this, right? I'm your friend, aren't I?"

Her eyes widened as she saw the felt tip near her face.

"AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!"

-Outside-

Yuki waved to Tohru and Kyo as he went in the direction of the old construction site. "Let's play again tomorrow! Meet you at the site Honda-san!"

Once Yuki was out of range, Tohru sighed. "I have to help Yuki salvage trash from the dump today."

Kyo snorted. "You're one to talk 'trash,' Tohru," with a smirk he added, "considering your face is now trash."

Tohru whipped her head around to face him with a heated glare. Around her eyes were black rings made to look like glasses; a mustache was under her nose; some kanji signs on one cheek; and a flower on the other.

"If my face is trash, then it's your fault Kyo Sohma!" she screeched, pointing at him accusingly.

He laughed, handing her a wet cloth. "Here."

Tohru eyed suspiciously, and then snatched the cloth to start whiping the marks off. "Thanks," she said gruffly.

"Your welcome."

The two of them started walking. Tohru couldn't help but note the similar situation from the day before when she had asked Yuki about the dam and whatever incident might have happened. There could be a chance that Kyo would be just as evasive, but he had lived in Hinamizawa his whole life. He will definitely have more information.

The two of them had gotten to the watermill house, which was supposed to be where Kyo turned left for home. Tohru figured she had to question him now, otherwise there won't be another chance.

"Hey Kyo, that construction site was for a dam, right," Tohru questioned looking up at him.

She thought she had seen his arms twitch slightly, but it could have been her imagination. "Yeah, what of it?" He said softly.

Tohru twiddled with her hands. "Do you know...what happened?"

Kyo stopped walking and turned to look at her. At other times, Tohru had an easy time reading him, but now his eyes were completely blank.

Just like how Yuki looked...

Surprisingly, he shrugged. "Yeah, I guess it would be alright for you to know." He walked over to the house and leaned against its side, his hands in his pockets. Tohru stood in front of him, waiting to listen to his every word. He stared at her with serious eyes.

"What happened there was what we refer to now as the 'Hinamizawa Dam Construction Project.' Five years or so ago, the country had tried to build a dam and sink this village to the bottom of a lake. (His eyes darkened and his fists clenched) The bastards basically wanted to sacrifice our village to create a reservoir for the country."

Tohru gasped softly. "That's horrible."

Kyo nodded in agreement. "Naturally we were against it. I think the assholes honestly thought we were all just going to abandon the village, as if it didn't matter to us. But there was no way in hell we were giving up our home. A majority of us were born there, and we were willing to die there.

"And so, we fought–mostly at the construction site. We had sit-ins and demonstrations," Kyo's eyes narrowed. "The government officials played dirty, so we took a lot of harassment. We didn't give up though."

Tohru smiled, "I'm impressed that you all won. You were up against the nation, after all."

Kyo smiled back. "The village head and many other representatives of the village went to the city to talk to the statesmen. We wrote letters, had people from outside the town sign petitions–anything that could possibly work. And while that was done, the project was withdrawn after a year, making it a complete victory on our part." He broke off with a laugh, obviously remembering the taste of victory.

"Was there...any violence?" Tohru asked, awkwardly, making sure not to add the word "murder" in the sentence.

She didn't even want to think of "murder" and "Hinamizawa" being in the same sentence.

Kyo's smile disappeared and his eyes darkened even further. He lowered his head for a few minutes, then he faced her again, this time with a smile and eyes that mirrored Yuki's.

**"None."**

Tohru gulped. "Oh." Her eyes shifted to the side, revealing her sadness and dejection.

"_Kyo's answer was just like Yuki's. A complete rejection."_

Like Yuki, Kyo suddenly went back to normal and started waving good bye to Tohru. "See you tomorrow."

Tohru waved back at him, tryin to be enthusiastic, as he walked away. "See ya."

She watched his back as it disappeared in the distance. She bit her lip, and then started for home.

"_I felt like they were keeping it from just me. I felt alienated. It probably wasn't true, but it certainly felt like I was the only one left out."_

She knew that it wouldn't really make her feel better, but Tohru knew that it was best to hurry up and help Yuki out at the construction site. She changed into her street clothes and met him there, seeing him leaning over a pile of trash. Yuki looked frustrated and pouty at what ever he was staring at.

Tohru walked next to him and followed his glare. There, under the pile of trash was a broken statue of a man who looked like the KFC guy.

"So, that's Kenta-kun," she said.

Yuki nodded. "That's what they call him."

"And you want him why...?"

Yuki huffed, a flush of embarassment flooding his face. "I just think he'd make a nice decoration in my backyard, that's all."

Tohru giggled at his embarassment. Barely anyone knew his strange hobby. "Well," she put her hands on her hips. "We can't get him out this way. We'll need an ax or something."

Yuki hummed, thinking about what she said. Then he beamed. "Wait right here, Honda-san! I think I have just the thing..."

Tohru watched as he ran towards an old green van that was at the bottom of the trash heap. She smiled, amused at his childishness. And people often call her the childish one. She was about to help him, when a pile of magazines caught her eye.

Her eyes narrowed, _If there really was an incident in Hinamizawa and it was a...an unsettling incident, like Shigure-san mentioned, then there would definitely be something about it in the magazines._

Tohru started looking through the magazines, with many of them being dead ends. Finally she came across one that had illustrations of splattered blood and with words "Dismembered," and "Beaten" on the cover. From the date on the magazine, it looked to be about four years old, which, according to Kyo, would have been around the time the dam project was withdrawn. With a shuddering breath, Tohru opened the magazine, not really mentally or emotionally prepared to see a bad picture of a man's bloody corpse that had been chopped to pieces.

"_BLOODY TRAGEDY AT HINAMIZAWA DAM: _

"_A brutal killing which the murderers hammered the victim with blows from hatchets and pickaxes..._

_Furthermore, the body was divided with an axe into six parts—head, right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg and torso..._

"_The whereabouts of the leader of the group of offenders have not been determined. Also, the arm, which was supposedly a 'trophy' of the leader's, has not been found..."_

Tohru's eyes widened as she threw the magazine away, as if it had burned her. She started breaking out in a cold sweat and her stomach twisted sickeningly.

_It's true...there was a murder_, she sat on the ground, pulling her knees against her chest. She could feel her heart pound against her chest, like it was trying to escape from its cage. She couldn't help but recall Shigure's words, now sounding almost mocking in her mind:

"_**It was a terrible incident, wasn't it?"**_

...

...

"_Honda-san."_

As Tohru turned around, she didn't at first see the person's face––just their hand holding some kind of blade. When she looked at it, she realized that it looked like an...like an...

_Axe._

"_**...the body was divided with an **_**axe****.**_**.."**_

For the second time that day, Tohru let out a bloodcurdling scream of fright. She put her arms in front of her, as if to stop an oncoming attack. She then started crawling away, her eyes shut tightly. When her hands were grabbed, she screamed even louder, if that was possible.

"Honda-san, it's alright, it's me!" Yuki called as he spread her arms away her face, then he crouched on the ground so she would see him.

Relieved, Tohru panted and grasped her heart, trying to calm it down. "Yuki, it's you." She eyed the cleaver that lay at his side. "What's with the cleaver?"

Yuki looked down at it and shrugged. "I didn't have an axe, so I thought that this would would do the trick." He looked back at her sheepishly, recalling her frightened state when she saw it. "I guess that might have been a bad idea, huh?"

Tohru chuckled, feeling a little embarassed about her reaction. "Maybe just a little. I honestly didn't think you'd bring one."

Yuki smiled, then blinked when he looked at the sky. "It's getting real late."

Tohru also looked up and nodded, "I guess we'll have to get Kenta-kun tomorrow. But hey— at least now we know how to get him out."

The two of them walked home, once again in silence. In fact, it might have been more awkward than yesterday, and Tohru wasn't really surprised. Her mind was focused too much on the article she read. Yuki was probably thinking about how to get the Kenta doll out without using so much force with the cleaver, which was still in his hand. That could have added onto the silence between them.

Finally, when they were closer to Yuki's house they faced each other for goodbyes.

"Sorry again for scaring you," Yuki said.

Tohru shook her head, flushing slightly. "No! It wasn't your fault–-really!"

"Well, thank you for your help," he waved as he walked to his house. "See you tomorrow."

"See you!" Tohru waved back, this time trying extra hard to be enthusiastic. She watched him walk away, her smile disappearing as her thoughts took a dark turn.

_There really was a dismembered body in this tranquil town, Hinamizawa_, she thought sadly. _And Yuki and Kyo are clearly trying to hide that fact._

_Why? Consideration for my feelings? Or is there some other reason?_

_**I want to know the truth.**_

Tohru's face burned with determination as she started for home. She now had a mission, and she wasn't going to let anything stop her, even if it might hurt her friends. She didn't want to be left out of the loop any longer. If she didn't find out the truth that was being kept from her, then she would never feel safe in Hinamizawa.

As she got closer to her home, the higurashis' song got louder than usual.

* * *

" '_I want to know the truth.' ...At the time, I couldn't have possibly known that my idle curiousity would be the trigger for a blood-stained tragedy."_


End file.
